Ercole Rosa (Italian, 1846-1893) Model For the Decoration of the Façade of the Ministry of Finance, Rome Terracotta 5-1/2 x 10-5/8 x 2-1/8 inches (14.0 x 27.0 x 5.4 cm) Property from the Dr. Sheldon G. and Irma H. Gilgore Collection of Italian Art 1850-1925 PROVENANCE: Private Collection, Italy; Galleria Carlo Virgilio, Rome; Acquired from the above. EXHIBITED: The Art Institute of Chicago and Denver Art Museum, "Chiseled with a Brush: Italian Sculpture, 1860-1925, from the Gilgore Collections," May 14, 1994 - January 29, 1995, no. 14. LITERATURE: S. Sussino and A. Grammicia, Ercole Rosa, Rome, exh. cat., 1981, p. 12, no. 6; Palazzo Barberini, Rome, 1985, p. 109, no. 13. Rome's Ministry of Finance was constructed between 1870 and 1877, with Ercole Rosa winning the competition for the sculptural decoration of its façade. The present work is likely the prima pensiero for the finished design: the rounded pediment, resting on four pilasters and featuring a coat of arms between two seated figures, remains consistent in the final version, though the eagle and banners were replaced by a domed canopy (Chiseled with a Brush, exh. cat., p. 74). HID12401132022 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

The Art Institute of Chicago and Denver Art Museum, "Chiseled with a Brush: Italian Sculpture, 1860-1925, from the Gilgore Collections," May 14, 1994 - January 29, 1995, no. 14.

Private Collection, Italy; Galleria Carlo Virgilio, Rome; Acquired by the present owner from the above.

Surface dirt to areas of high relief. Break to winged element extending from upper-left side of pediment.